Harry Potter: The Consequences
by maxxzxv
Summary: What if Harry has accused Dumbledore for Sirius's death? What if Dumbledore was just manipulating him all the time and the truth about his parents' death was different from what everyone told him? The friends became foes and the foes became friends. AU-HBP. Dark!Harry Manipulative!Dumbledore
1. Chapter 1: A Mysterious Friend

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does.**

**CHAPTER 1 : A MYSTERIOUS FRIEND**

* * *

Privet Drive was mostly empty. Its inhabitants preferred to stay inside their houses to protect themselves from the scorching and humid temperature. But a black-haired teenager with an intense green eyes was the only exception. He was lying in the bushes under his aunt's window. Even if he looked normal, he wasn't an ordinary boy. He was a wizard. But he wasn't like his fellow wizards. He was Harry Potter. The Chosen One. He was prophesized to defeat the greatest Dark Lord Britain has ever known. But had he really? He has been wondering that since the fiasco in the Department of Mysteries. His godfather, Sirius Black, was killed by one of the craziest Voldemort's follower – Bellatrix Lestrange. But that happened only because Riddle has wanted him to see the fake vision. And why had he seen it? Because the mighty Dumbledore didn't even thought of telling him the truth. Furthermore, he was isolating himself from Harry. He avoided him for the whole school year. Harry has had enough. _I won't be their Chosen One! The wizarding word can go to hell_, he thought.

Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by a loud thud. Something has fallen next to him. He moved his head to take a look what could iit possibly be. It was a small package, wrapped in a common brown paper. He sat up and unwrapped the package, curious what could it be. He threw the paper on the side and looked closely at the small, black book with a short note attached to it.

_I hope you'll find it useful._  
_Your Friend._  
_PS. Meet me at Knockturn tomorrow at 10 o'clock._

After he read the note, he looked at the book's cover. He was a bit shocked. On the cover was written _Introduction to the Dark Arts_. Who would send him this book? He knew only one person that could send him book, but surely Hermione wouldn't send him that kind of book. Who is this from then? _Your Friend_, the note said. He would have to wait for tomorrow and go on Knockturn. But what if that's a trap? Maybe one of the Death Eaters thought it'd get him curious and want to meet with this mysterious friend? Well, they were right about him being curious. But they were wrong about him going there like a naïve child. He shall take his Invisibility Cloak just for safety, disguise himself and carefully watch for the person who probably wished him his demise.

Anyway, that would be tomorrow. Now, he had an interesting book to read. Harry certainly was interested in the Dark Arts, but he couldn't learn anything while Dumbledore was watching him closely. He decided to finally break free from the old man's influence. _It's his fault Sirius is dead, _Harry thought. He lost his trust, and the boy won't be so obedient anymore.  
He stood up and went back to the house. He closed the door behind him and silently went to his room. Luckily, the Dursleys haven't seen anything else except their new TV which uncle Vernon has bought yesterday. Harry sat on the bed and opened the book. It was his first step to the Dark Side.

* * *

Next morning, Harry woke up very tired. He stayed up late to finish the book which had caught his interest. He actually thought about getting himself more books on the Knockturn today, after meeting the mysterious person. Speaking of, he had to get moving soon if he didn't want to be late. He got up from bed, dressed himself and disguised as much as he could, so no one could recognize him that easily. After that, he silently went outside and called the Knight Bus to get to the Leaky Cauldron.A while later, he was standing on the middle of Diagon Alley which was as crowded as it usually was. Blending in the crowd, he turned to the Knockturn. While waiting for the friend, he was pretending to look at the shops' displays. Exactly at ten o'clock, he was approached by a young, black-haired girl.

"You could do a bit better with your disguise," She said, chuckling lightly. Harry turned back to look straight into the intensively green-eyes which reminded him of the Avada Kedavra curse.

"Excuse me, do I know you?" Harry asked, trying to keep a calm face. Much to his surprise, girl laughed once more.

"They said you were more intelligent, Harry," She said teasingly. "I thought you would recognize your friend, wouldn't you?"

"A friend? I've never-" He began confusedly, but soon he understood what did she meant. "So it was you who sent me that book, was it?" He asked and she smiled widely.

"I'm surprised that you've figured it out so soon." She smirked. "Don't tell me you've never been interested in the Dark Arts."

Harry looked at her closely. Who was that girl? And why she's sent him that book? It was actually really weird.

"Who are you?" He asked directly.

"A friend," She smiled.

"Well, do you have a name or should I just call you a friend, huh?" Harry asked, being a little irritated.

"I'm Cassiopeia" She said, amused by Harry's annoyance."But please, do call me Cass" She winked at him.

Harry became suspicious. He knew that the only Purebloods would name their child like that. So she could be a Death Eater's daughter. But why was she talking to him then? Maybe it was the part of some bigger plan to make him trust her and lure him straight into the Dark Lord's clutches? However, he was intrigued by her. He wished to get to know her more. Even if that could be Voldemort's trap.

"Alright, Cass" She smiled at Harry's friendly tone."You've… fascinated me, I guess" Harry continued. "I may be foolish, but I'd like to get to know you." He finished, not letting his eyes off her.

"Yes, you may be foolish," She said seriously and Harry looked taken aback. "I'm just joking," She laughed. "Anyway, I should get going now. There's a bookstore next to the Borgin & Burkes," She said, as she began to leave.

"Wait, how do you know I-"

"See you later Harry!" Cassiopeia interrupted, right before she disapparated.

Harry was confused. He didn't knew how she knew that he was looking forward to getting himself new Dark Arts books. He turned back and moved towards the bookstore. The inside was dark and dusty, but he quickly found what he was looking for. He bought a few books and left. He had to go back to Privet Drive before aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon became aware of his disappearance.


	2. Chapter 2: The Truth

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does.**

**CHAPTER 2: THE TRUTH**

* * *

Meanwhile, while Harry was reading in his room, many miles away, a red-haired girl was sitting on the large, green bed, waiting impatiently for her friend's return. She knew about the mission from her father, and she hoped it was going well. A few minutes later, the door opened and a black-haired girl came in.

"Cass! Finally!" Redhead said with relief.

"What? You thought he might've killed me?" Cassiopeia laughed, then hugged her friend and sat on the bed, next to her.

"I was hoping so," She smirked. "How is he? Tell me!"

Cassiopeia chuckled lightly. She knew that her friend anticipated to meet him, but that was expectable. She's his sister after all.

"You're so impatient, Catherine!" She exclaimed. "He seems nice. And not too stupid I think," She laughed and the redhead laughed. "What? He was smart enough to disguise himself but not enough to put together the note with me."

"And what about the mission? Is it going well?" Catherine asked.

"He read the book I've given him, and I think he's already been to the bookstore for more," She replied, seriously. "I think that's a good sign."

Cathy nodded, and they've sat in silence for a while. After that, the redhead stood up and moved across the room to the window and sighed.

"I want to finally get to know him, Cass," She said quietly, looking through the window. "I know that Sirius told me everything about him, but it's not the same."

"I know Cathy, I know…"

* * *

It was two days later since Harry has met Cassiopeia on Knockturn. He had no reason to trust her, but yet, she had something that made him trust her. He thought it was illogical and foolish, but he was going to give it a try.  
During his free time, he managed to finish two books and actually learn a few curses. He didn't obviously try them, thanks to the Ministry's policies about underage magic. But he wanted to try them as soon as he could. Maybe the Room of Requirements could be helpful? Well, he had to try.  
He was lying on the bed, reading the third book, when he heard a clicking noise from the window. When he looked at the source of sound, he'd seen a beautiful black owl, holding a letter. Harry put away his book and got up from bed to open the window. As soon as he did that, the owl has flown inside, dropped the letter and left. He picked it up from the floor and began reading.

_Harry,_  
_Meet me on the playground at Privet Drive at seven o'clock._  
_Your friend, Cass._

He was positively surprised. He didn't anticipate another letter from her for a long time, but there it is. Still, he had no reason to trust her and her intentions, but what bad could've happened? He fought Voldemort that many times, that even if it was a trap, he certainly could escape death one more time.

* * *

As the sun began to go down, Harry looked at the clock. 6:42. It's time to go. He threw the invisibility cloak around him, as he didn't want to be seen by the Order's guards, assigned to him by Dumbledore, and he hoped that there wasn't Mad-Eye Moody nearby.  
He turned left and moved towards the playground. He was there after a few minutes. Harry looked around and saw no one. He took off his cloak and sat on the swing, awaiting the blacked-haired girl.  
Exactly at seven, Cassiopeia's been moving towards him with a wide smile.

"Hello, Harry" She greeted him. "I hope you didn't wait too long."

"Hi, Cass" He replied. "No, just about few minutes." She smiled pleasantly.

"So, how's your summer? Are the Muggles bearable?" She asked and Harry noticed as she spat the word Muggles with so much disgust. Well, he was right after all. A Pureblood.

"It has been good so far. I've managed to read a few more books." He answered. "And the Muggles, they're acting weird. They were ignoring me since I came back from school."

"Maybe they've realized what kind of assholes they were" She smirked and Harry laughed loudly.

He was beginning to like this girl. He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't stop himself. He was just too curious about her and even began to trust her a bit.

"Maybe," He said shortly. "Or maybe Dumbledore told them to."

Cassiopeia noticed how angry he got when he'd mentioned the headmaster's name, even if he tried his best to hide it. She wasn't going to waste that opportunity.

"What happened between you two, Harry?" She asked seriously. "And don't lie to me, you're terrible at hiding you emotions."

Harry looked into her eyes carefully. He shouldn't bring up Dumbledore. He should've known that she'd notice something's wrong. But he can't go back in time and change that.

"He's… I mean… It's his fault that my life is a living hell." He said honestly, trying his best to calm down. "He'd never told me anything. There were moments when I could really use his help! His advice, but no! Why bother?" He snapped. "And last year. He could've warned me, say something about the damned prophecy! And he's just avoided me instead! It's his fault that Sirius is dead!"

She was watching him closely. Harry was right. Dumbledore could do a better job than that to protect him. She felt sorry for him. He didn't deserve all of this, she thought. But all this hatred could help her complete her mission.  
Cassiopeia stretched her hand and put it on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry Harry." She said sincerely.

* * *

Two weeks passed since Harry's outburst at the playground. Cassiopeia has met with him a few more times and he really believed her to be his true friend. She always listened to him and advised him when he needed help. And most importantly, she didn't cared about the Chosen One nonsense. She was there because of him. Because of the real Harry. He was happy to be able to talk to someone, while his other friends didn't even write him.  
Today he was going to meet with her again. She wrote in her letter that she had something important to tell him. He didn't know what it was, but he had his suspicions. Still, he was on his way to the playground, where they were meeting in the past two weeks. He was surprised to see her there already, because he was the one to always wait for her.

"Harry!" She greeted, hugging him tightly.

"Hey, what happened?" He asked concerned. "What's so important?"

"Do you remember when you told me about the prophecy?" She asked, looking into his green eyes.

"Yes, why?" Harry was confused. He didn't know why she suddenly asked about the prophecy. Could she know something that he didn't?

"I've got to show you something," She said. "Do you trust me, Harry?"

"Y-Yes? But why do-"

"Take my hand," She ordered, still looking straight into his eyes.

Harry hesitated, but eventually he did what she asked for. Next thing he knew, everything went black and he was being pressed very hard from all directions. He couldn't breathe and his eyeballs were being forced back into his head.

* * *

He took a deep breath and nearly vomited on the floor. When the dizziness left him, he looked around. He was in a big room – bedroom, he assumes as there was a large, green bed and a black wardrobe. The walls were painted in Slytherin's colors, green and silver. The only source of light was a big window on the wall, above the desk. On the desk, there was a Pensieve. He looked at his friend with curiosity. She handed him a small vial and pointed to the desk. He slowly approached the Pensieve and poured the vial's content inside. After that, he dipped his head inside.

* * *

He was standing in the wide path. It was dark, and the night was very quiet. He could only hear owl's hooting and leaves' rustling. A few meters in front of him, stood a tall, hooded figure, holding a yew wand. Harry assumed it was Voldemort and without hesitation he followed him. After a while, he saw a large, two-stories house, which he recognized somehow. Suddenly, he understood where he was. The Godric's Hollow.  
Harry had seen Voldemort opening the locked door with a simple spell. He followed him inside. Then, Harry saw something that he didn't expected to see. A few meters in front of him and the Dark Lord, a body was lying on the floor. It was James Potter. Harry froze, when he'd seen his left sleeve tucked up. There was a Dark Mark on his forearm. It's impossible! He thought. Who killed him if it wasn't Voldemort? Was it… He didn't want to complete his thought. At least he knew that it wasn't the Dark Lord who murdered his father.  
He looked at his dead father for the last time, before he followed Voldemort further. They've passed through a narrow corridor, moving towards the door on the end of the corridor. They could hear two voices. He and the Dark Lord sneaked towards the door and as soon as he burst inside the room, he fired a yellow curse at the old wizard. Harry immediately recognized the people inside. On the middle of the room – Albus Dumbledore and Harry's mother next to him. They both began throwing curses at the Dark Lord. Streams of hexes were flying across the room. During the long fight, Harry had time to think, why Dumbledore killed James and Lilly remained untouched?  
Suddenly, the Dark Lord's stunning spell hit the headmaster straight into his chest. He fell on the floor and Voldemort concentrated fully at Harry's mother. She tried to fight, but the fight was already lost.

"Don't kill me, my Lord," She pleaded with teary eyes. "I'll do anything you want, just don't kill me, please have mercy!"

"You're foolish, Evans. I do not have mercy for my foes. Especially for the filthy Mudblood like you," He hissed.

"Please…" Lilly whispered.

"Step aside, silly woman," He ordered.  
Harry was shocked as she obeyed. His own mother let Voldemort to kill him! He watched as the Dark Lord pointed his wand at the little boy.

"Avada Kedavra" A green jet of light sped at the boy.  
At this point, redhead tried to take a step back. She didn't care about her son's life. She wanted to live. But unfortunately for her, she stumbled and fell in front of the Dark Lord and got hit by the Killing Curse. Lily Potter died, unconsciously defending her child. Voldemort disappeared and the memory ended.

* * *

Harry was back in the room. He couldn't believe that. His own mother knowingly let him be killed! She saved him by accident. What kind of mother would let her own child be killed? Then the realization struck him. She wasn't his real mother. She was just a monster. And she even plotted with Dumbledore! Was it her who helped him kill his father? Harry was enraged. That manipulative bastard was the reason he was an orphan! But there's one more thing. Why would Cassiopeia have Voldemort's memory?

"Where'd you get that memory from?" He asked his friend with a frown.

"I'm sorry Harry" Was all what she said. "I should've told you earlier. The Dark Lord… Well… He's my father."

Harry was taken aback. Father? He knew something was up. It was his plan all along to just get him killed! He took a step back.

"Harry, please!"

"I knew it! I knew I couldn't trust you!" He said, feeling betrayed. "You just lured me here to kill me, huh? I thought you were my real friend!"

"Harry, listen to me!" Cass pleaded. "If we've wanted to kill you, do you really think I'd show you this memory? Think about it!"

Harry looked at her carefully, his hand on his wand. She had a point, he thought. And Dumbledore turned out to be the bad guy, not Riddle. He didn't know what to do. If she was lying right now, no matter what he'd do, he'd be killed. But if she's telling the truth…

"Alright Cass…" He said quietly. "I hope you're not lying."

"I'm not." She said shortly. "I can go to get someone to tell you more about your parents and about what happened. Hey, don't freak out, I don't mean my father!".

"Thank you Cass." He said.

Cassiopeia nodded and left the room. Harry moved towards the window and looked outside, wondering where could he be. He saw a huge garden, but it didn't implied anything.  
Few minutes have passed and he was still waiting. It was difficult for him to accept the recently gained information. He still couldn't believe what he'd seen.  
A few more minutes later, Cassiopeia came back with the person Harry wasn't expecting to meet here. Severus Snape was as shocked as Harry was.

"Potter!" He exclaimed surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Professor Snape" He greeted him shortly.

"As I've said, I've got a request," Cassiopeia said quickly. "I've shown him the memory from the night his parents have died. Could you tell him what he's supposed to know?"

The Potions Master looked at the girl and nodded. He was wondering about his thoughts.

"Does the Dark Lord know that you're here, Potter?" Snape asked.

"No. He does not know yet." Cassiopeia answered for him.

Severus was impressed how the girl gained Potter's trust so fast. He knew where he was, and he still didn't try to escape. Snape knew that he had a tough task to accomplish, but he was going to do that anyway. He was wondering how to explain it to him. There were so many things that he didn't knew about. Cassiopeia decided to give them privacy, and left the room.

"Aright, Potter," He said. "But I'll warn you. You'd be shocked by some things I will tell you, but I do not intend to lie to you, understood?" Harry nodded. "Good. Tell me, what do you actually know about your parents?"

Harry was surprised about his calm tone. For the first time, Snape was talking to him without hatred in his voice. Well, what did he know about his parents? Not much…

"Practically nothing," He said. "My father was a Gryffindor, a chaser in their team, and a member of the Order, but after I saw the memory, I don't know if that's true" He continued. "My mother was in the Order too. She was a Muggleborn and in Gryffindor too."

"Not much" Professor agreed. "And what you've said, is mostly untrue. Dumbledore's lies."

Harry nodded, watching the Potions Master.

"James was an excellent Death Eater. He even was the Dark Lord's right hand." Snape said. "Together with Black and Lupin, they've taken the Mark after the graduation."

"What?! Sirius and Professor Lupin were Death Eaters too?" He asked loudly, taken aback by Severus's words.

"Keep it down if you don't want someone to hear you!" He lectured and continued when Harry apologized quietly. "Yes, they were. The inseparable trio." He smirked.

"Answering your next question, we were not enemies." He said as Harry opened his mouth. "We were pretending."

"What about my mother then?" Harry asked.

"Lilly was… I won't lie to you, Potter. I did like her for some time, but she turned out to be a Dumbledore-loving traitor." He said truthfully. "When she learned about James's true allegiance, she went straight to the headmaster and told him everything she knew. You've seen the aftermath in the memory."

Harry was shocked. Not only she let him be killed, but she'd really been plotting with Dumbledore. She got his father killed. He'd never forgive her that.

"And there's the last thing. The prophecy." Severus said, and Harry stared widely at him. "It's another of Dumbledore's lies. He was losing his power which he gained after defeating the Grindelwald so he decided to strengthen his position by sacrificing the lives of other people."

"So, it's fake?" Harry asked and Snape nodded. "I suppose Voldemort knows about it too. He doesn't want to kill me anymore?"

"Do not speak his name!" Snape hissed. "And yes, he knows about it. How do you think I know about it too?" He asked rhetorically. "No. He doesn't want to kill you anymore."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"I do not know the details, Potter. You could ask him yourself." He said. "Or maybe Miss Riddle would now." He added, when he saw the fear on boy's face.

"I suppose I've told you everything. Do you have any more questions?" Severus asked.

"No, sir. Thank you."

The Potions Master nodded and left the room, letting Cassiopeia in. Harry looked at her and before she could say anything, he raced towards her and hugged her.

"Thank you Cass." He said. "I just want to ask you… Why doesn't he want to kill me anymore?"

"I think he'd seen you as a powerful wizard." She answered honestly. "We need to leave."

He nodded and grabbed her hand. Just before they've apparated, he'd seen a tall and handsome man with a short, black hair. He didn't expected to see that man again anymore.


	3. Chapter 3: The Dark Lord

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does.**

**CHAPTER 3: THE DARK LORD**

They were back at the playground. Harry was shocked. He couldn't mistake the person who he'd seen for anyone else.

"What was he doing here?" He asked, still being in shock. "I thought he was dead!"

Cassiopeia looked at Harry. She assumed that Severus hadn't told him that Sirius didn't die in the Ministry. But it should be good news for him, right?

"Harry… Think about it." She began calmly. "Sirius and Bellatrix were on the same side. They were family too and for the Pureblood, family's more important than his own life. They were pretending to fight themselves, so the Order wouldn't suspect anything."

Harry was in shock. _He was alive. Sirius was alive_, he thought. Then, a huge grin appeared on his face. He couldn't believe it, and he was still wondering how. He'd seen Sirius falling through the Veil.

"How?" He whispered. "I've seen him dying, Cass. How's that possible?"

She sighed. It was difficult to explain, especially when Harry didn't know anything about the Purebloods' rituals. She needed to tell him everything, but there was no time right now.

"I suppose you haven't heard about any rituals?" She asked and Harry shook his head. "In that case, I can't explain. You wouldn't understand most of what I'd be saying."

"I could go to Knockturn. To buy some books about the rituals." He proposed.

"Actually, that's an excellent idea. That'd make the thing much easier for me." Cassiopeia agreed. "I can only tell you, that there's a ritual to take the person out of the Veil."

Harry turned away and moved towards the swing which he sat on later. He took a depth breath and looked at Cass, who was standing next to him.

"I can't believe his alive." He said. "Had he asked about me?"

"You have no idea." She laughed loudly. "He even demanded that it should be him who'd explain everything to you, but father didn't agree. At least he didn't Crucioed him."

Harry tried to imagine Sirius demanding from the Dark Lord to allow him to visit him and a light chuckle left his mouth. Yup, that was something Sirius would do.

"I should be going." Harry said shortly. "Thank you Cass. For everything." He thanked, hugging her tightly before leaving.

He couldn't believe that this day wasn't just a dream. He'd finally learned the truth and about Dumbledore's true side. As if that was not enough, Sirius was alive. He couldn't describe how happy he was right now.

* * *

It's been two days since Harry had learned the truth about Dumbledore and his parents. He was sitting in his bedroom, reading _Magical Rituals for Beginners_. After the return from the Dark Lord's manor, he put on his Invisibility Cloak and visited Knockturn to shop for the books he needed and wanted to read. He bought a few about the rituals and a few more about the dark curses, and even potions. He was more than certain that he wouldn't get to Snape's N.E.W.T. Potions classes, but he thought that he could use to learn about Potions on his own.  
He was so absorbed in his reading that he nearly missed when an owl had flown inside through the open window, dropping a thick letter on his desk and immediately flying back. He got up from his bed and began to read the letter.

_Dear Harry,_  
_If it is convenient to you, I shall call at number four, Privet Drive this coming Friday at eleven o'clock to collect you and escort to the Burrow, where you have been invited to spend the remainder of your school holidays._  
_If you are agreeable, I Should also be glad of your assistance in a matter to which I hope to attend on the way to the Burrow. I shall explain this more fully when I see you._  
_Hoping to see you this Friday._  
_I am yours most sincerely,_  
_Albus Dumbledore._

He was staring at the letter, anger rising inside him. How dare he tell me what to do? I've had enough, he thought. He grabbed a quill and a parchment and began writing.

_Cass,_  
_Meet me at the playground today at seven o'clock. It's urgent._  
_Harry._

He glanced at the short note for the last time before folding it and giving it to Hedwig to deliver. She hooted and flew away as he was putting on his Invisibility Cloak and taking his most important stuff. He quickly left number four, going to their meeting place.

* * *

He was impatiently standing under the birch tree at the playground, when he suddenly heard a loud cracking sound and saw a black-haired girl approaching. _Finally_, he thought. He took off his cloak and raced towards her.

"Harry, what happened?" She asked concerned, as she'd noticed how angry her friend was.

"It's Dumbledore," Harry replied shortly. "He wants to collect me on Friday."

"That's not good," She stated. "What are you going to do?"

Harry sighed, shaking nervously. _I won't let him control me anymore_, he thought. There was only one option. He hesitated a bit, but finally made a choice. He preferred to be Crucioed by the Dark Lord than be an obedient servant of Dumbledore.

"I… I want to leave with you" He said, looking into his friend's eyes. "To your father."

Cassiopeia was shocked. She didn't expect him to go with her willingly so soon. Was he going to trust the man who wanted to kill him for so long that easily, just to escape from Dumbledore's clutches?

"Harry, are you certain?" She asked, and he took a deep breath.

"Yes. I'm certain, Cass" He answered calmly. "I won't let Dumbledore control me anymore. I'm ready to take that risk and face your father."

Cassiopeia nodded, and they've apparated to the Dark Lord's manor.

* * *

They've appeared in Cassiopeia's room, as the last time. Harry was beginning to feel a little better while apparating, but he still was nauseous. He sat on the bed and glanced at his friend.

"I'll go to my father. To explain him what happened." She said quietly. "Stay here, I'll be back soon."

Harry nodded and Cassiopeia left the room. He was very nervous. He didn't know what the hell he was thinking. He was willingly going to meet with the man who wished him death for so many years. There were so many things which could go wrong.  
Silence in the room was interrupted by the door's squeaking. He stood up, thinking why Cass came back so soon. But it wasn't Cass.

"Harry! You have no idea how I've missed you, pup!"

It was Sirius. He looked a bit younger than Harry had remembered him. And a much healthier!

"Sirius!" He said with excitement. "I've missed you too!"

"So, you've finally learned the truth, huh? What do you think?" Sirius asked.

"I can't believe Dumbledore would be able to do all of these things." He said truthfully. "My parents… The prophecy…" He continued. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"I am your godfather, pup." Sirius smiled. "I may be a Death Eater, but you're my top priority and we didn't knew about anything until we've gone to the Hall of Prophecies."

Harry sat on the bed again. He still couldn't believe that Sirius was alive. He thought it was just a wonderful dream and he'll soon wake up in his room at Privet Drive. But it really wasn't a dream.  
After nearly a minute of silence, Harry finally spoke up.

"I can't believe that you're alive. You have no idea how happy I am right now."

"Hey, you thought I'd leave you alone? That stupid Veil can kiss my arse!" He laughed.

"Hey, I'm serious!" Harry complained, chuckling lightly.

"Nope! I am!" Sirius laughed more, still amused by his own joke.

"Is Professor Lupin here?" Harry asked, ignoring Sirius's joke.

"Not right now." He said. "He's trying his best to convince the werewolf packs to join the Dark Lord."

Harry nodded, hoping that Remus will be okay.  
They were interrupted by Cassiopeia's return. She smiled when she's seen Sirius and Harry together.

"Father wants to see you." She said softly. "I'll show you the way."

Harry hugged Sirius and stood up to follow his friend. They've left the room and found themselves in a large, dark corridor with portraits of descendants of Slytherin himself on the wall. They were looking curiously at them when they were going through the corridor. After a while, the were standing in front of the large, black door with fancy

handle.

"Try to keep your temper. You do not want to offend him, unless you enjoy being Crucioed." She teased. "Good luck"

She knocked at the door and let Harry in as soon as she heard her father permission.

* * *

Harry was standing inside a large study. There was a huge fireplace on his left with two green couches in front of it. A few meters in front of him, there was a large desk. He was surprised to see an older version of Tom Riddle sitting behind the desk instead of a snake-faced Voldemort.

"Harry Potter" He said coldly. "The savior of the Wizarding World came here to join me. How ironically." He sneered.

Harry didn't know what to say, so he's just nodded, looking into Dark Lord's red eyes. Voldemort stood up and moved towards the boy.

"Is Dumbledore not good enough for you, Harry?" He provoked. "Had he lost the trust of the Chosen One?"

"Dumbledore is a lying bastard!" Harry shouted. "He was manipulating me for my whole life!"

"_Crucio_" The Dark Lord hissed, as the red jet left his wand, hitting Harry in the chest.

Harry fell down on the floor and yelled in agony as he felt every single part of his body burn in pain. He was held under the curse for about one minute, when Voldemort put down his wand.

"I will not tolerate disrespect, even from you!" He hissed angrily. "Get up and speak! What did you what do you expect by coming here?" He ordered.

Harry got up slowly, still feeling the pain from the Cruciatus Curse. He looked at the Dark Lord and took a deep breath.

"I've learned the truth, my… my Lord." He answered carefully, the _my Lord_ phrase, leaving his mouth surprisingly easily. "I wish Dumbledore to suffer. I want him dead." He confessed.

"So, you want to join me, Harry?" He sneered. "And why is that?"

Harry fell silent for a while. He had to think about what he's about to say. He had to be careful, as he didn't want to get hit by another Cruciatus.

"You've offered me the truth, while Dumbledore did nothing but lie to me." He said. "I also wish to learn the Dark Arts. They've fascinated me. And I certainly couldn't do that under the Order's eyes."

Voldemort was looking at him with a huge interest. He was pleased to hear that the supposed savior of the Wizarding World wanted to learn about the Dark Arts under his tutelage. The Order wouldn't know what had hit them! He looked into Harry's green eyes and searched through his mind to be sure that he wasn't going to go straight to the Order and tell them everything. He was pleased to know that the boy was telling the truth.

"I suppose I could take you as my apprentice." Voldemort stated.

Harry was taken aback by his words. He thought that the Dark Lord would accept him in his ranks, but he was shocked that he wanted to make him his apprentice. He couldn't say that he wasn't pleased, but still he was surprised.

"Y-Your a-apprentice, my Lord?" He asked, just to be sure what he'd heard.

"Are you deaf, Potter? Yes, my apprentice." Dark Lord replied, annoyed by the boy's behavior.

"I'd be honored, my Lord." He said respectfully. "Would I be marked as the other Death Eaters are?"

"I'm glad that you've asked this question." Voldemort said, looking pleased. "No, you will not. We can't let the Order know that you've changed the sides, and the Mark would

surely sell out your true allegiance.".

He turned back and moved towards the desk, taking a fancy necklace with a snake on it from the drawer and put it on the desk. He pointed his wand at the item and muttered a few words and a jet of dark green light struck the necklace which glowed green for a few seconds.  
The Dark Lord took the necklace from his desk and gave it to Harry.

"Put it around your neck." He instructed. "It will work similar as the Dark Mark. You will feel it burning when I'll be calling you, but it also gives you a protection against most of the hexes." He said, and Harry put it around his neck. "It will also work as a Portkey. Use it only if you'll be in serious danger. It will activate when you'll touch it directly with your hand and say **_Snake's Pit._**" He instructed, hissing the password in Parseltongue.

"Thank you, my Lord." Harry said.

"It's getting late." Voldemort said. "You should go get some sleep. Cassiopeia will show you your room. I will call you if I'll be needing you."  
Voldemort dismissed Harry and he turned back and moved towards the door. He was excited that the Dark Lord decided to take him as his apprentice.

* * *

"How did it go?" Cassiopeia was already waiting for him, outside of her father's study. "I've heard you screaming."

"Yeah, I've got a single Cruciatus." Cass smirked in amusement. "But it went well actually. He'd made me his apprentice if you can believe it."

"Apprentice? Wow, he must've really seen potential in you." She said honestly. "Alright, I'll show you your room."

They've begun walking, and Harry tried to remember where they were going. They were passing the same portraits which they were passing on the way to the Dark Lord's study, so he assumed that his room was close to Cass's room. After a while of walking, Cass stopped in the middle of a corridor with a large painting of a snake. In front of it, there were two rooms.

"Here we are." Cassiopeia said. "There's your room." She pointed at the right door. "And there's Cathy's room." She said, pointing at another door.

"Cathy? Catherine? My sister is here?" Harry asked with wide eyes.

"You know about her?" Cass asked surprised.

"Yes, Sirius told me last year! Everyone thought she was lost!" He replied happily.

Cassiopeia was looking at him with a smile.

"Well, do you want to meet her?" She asked, smiling wider, not waiting for his answer before opening the door. "Hey Cass, look who's here!"

A red-headed girl was sitting behind her desk, reading a book. She froze in surprise when she'd seen a black-haired boy with a glasses, staring at her with a wide smile.

"Harry! You're here!" She exclaimed with excitement and jumped off her bed, racing to hug the brother she'd only heard about.

"I'll leave you two alone." Cassiopeia said, leaving the room.

"Where have you been this whole time?" Harry asked. He really wanted to know how she'd managed to hide from the Order.

"Before our parents have died, Sirius took me to aunt Narcissa." She replied, smiling. "That's why they couldn't find me." She smirked.

"That'd explain a lot" He chuckled. "I assume you were home-schooled then?"

"No" Cathy shook her head. "I was in Durmstrang, together with Cass. But we're transferring to Hogwarts this year!"

"That's great!" Harry said.

"So, have you talked with the Dark Lord then?" She asked and Harry nodded. "How did it go?"

Harry sighed and told her everything that he'd told Cass. Catherine was listening closely and she was surprised how smoothly, excluding the Cruciatus at the beginning, it went.

"Really? Harry Potter, the apprentice of the Dark Lord." She smirked, patting him lightly on his shoulder.

"You could imagine how surprised I was." He said.

They've begun to talk about themselves and about their lives before. Harry had learned that there were the Dark Arts classes and the Basics of Rituals in Durmstrang's curriculum. His sister was really disappointed that they wouldn't learn the Dark Arts in Hogwarts as freely as they could in Durmstrang, but she was already planning how to secretly learn them without staff knowing.  
They were talking for nearly two hours, and Harry decided to leave when he became too tired to speak properly. They've exchanged their goodnights and Harry headed back to his room. When he got inside, he looked around.

Room was as large as Cathy's was. On the middle of the room, there was a huge bed in Slytherin's colors, a large wardrobe on the left and a black desk in front of the huge window. He was surprised to already see many clothes in the wardrobe, but he didn't comply. He changed his clothes and laid down on bed. He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.


	4. Chapter 4: Holidays in the Manor

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does.**

**CHAPTER 4: HOLIDAYS IN THE MANOR**

Harry was sleeping peacefully in his room, when he'd suddenly heard a loud banging on the door. The door was opened without his permission and a blacked-haired girl came inside.

"Wake up, Harry!" Cassiopeia shouted.

He didn't appreciate being woken up so early. He was talking with his sister for the first time, for a few hours, and he was extremely tired. He lifted his head, glancing at his friend with annoyance.

"Couldn't you wait for me to wake up instead barging inside?" He asked with a sleepy voice, trying to suppress a yawn.

"Nope! It wouldn't be much fun!" She smirked. "I'll give you a few minutes to dress up." She said, leaving him alone inside his room.

Harry sighed and jumped off his bed. He took the clothes and went to the bathroom to take a quick shower. After a while, he dressed up and was ready to face Cassiopeia outside of his room. He left the bathroom and moved across his room to the door and left his room. He'd seen his friend casually speaking with the snake which was living inside the painting in front of his room.

"**I'm surprised that he isn't bored of you, yet**" Harry hissed in Parseltongue teasingly and Cassiopeia nearly lost her footing when she'd heard hissing.

"Damn it, Harry!" She yelled with annoyance. "I thought it was my father for a second! I forgot that you're a Parselmouth too!" Harry laughed.

"Wow, the daughter of the Dark Lord, scared by a bit of hissing" He smirked.

"Shut up!" She said, hitting him lightly on his chest. "We'll see who'll be scared soon." She said mischievously. "Come with me. There's one more thing to do."

She grabbed his hand and walked rapidly through the corridor, towards another door. Harry was wondering whose room was it. But he didn't have to wait for answer too long. Cassiopeia banged loudly on the door and went inside without waiting for permission again. Harry followed and saw a tall blond-haired boy who was sitting on the windowsill, twirling his wand in his hand. He lifted his head to look at the intruders.

"Have you ever heard about waiting for—Potter?!"

"Malfoy." Harry greeted, forcing himself to a pleasant tone.

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked, not even hiding his shock.

"Don't ask me, she's the one who woke me at this ungodly hour," He replied with irritation, pointing his finger at Cassiopeia.

"Yeah, that's normal for her." Draco smirked.

Harry was wondering why she'd brought him inside his school rival's room. And most importantly, why she'd thought it'd be a good idea? But the answer came instantly.

"So… I thought that if you're on the same side, you should drop your hostilities and the differences between you and finally get along." She said, looking very proud of her brilliant idea.

"What?!" The boys shouted in unison.

"I'm not apologizing to him!" Draco said, outraged by her idea.

"Neither am I!" Harry agreed.

"Grow up for Merlin's sake!" She growled. "Are you really going to fight over a foolish school rivalry?" She asked coldly, her eyes changing color from green to scarlet red.

"What were you even arguing about?"

Both Harry and Draco looked at her with fear. She'd really reminded them her father right now. Her eyes were glowing red and her voice became cold and high pitched.

"Well… I don't quite remember." Draco said, honestly.

"Weren't you jealous that I had refused your friendship and preferred to be friends with Ron?" Harry asked, looking carefully at Cass. That girl scared the living daylight out of him.

"I think that was the case." Malfoy said. "I still don't know what Weasel have had that I didn't."

"Hey, leave Ron alone! He's alright!" Harry defended his friend.  
Cassiopeia looked at him with pity. _Didn't Severus tell him about Weasley and Dumbledore?_ She thought. She didn't know how to tell him that his friends weren't actually his true friends.

"Harry…" She began. "Severus didn't tell you, right?" She asked, carefully.

"Didn't tell me about what? Is something wrong with Ron?" He asked, looking concerned. "Is Hermione okay?"

"I don't know, Harry." She said truthfully. "But there's something you need to know about Ron." Harry nodded and she continued. "Severus found out that he was working with Dumbledore. He was… He was spying for him. On you."

"Cass, are you… Are you sure?" He asked with shock, while Malfoy muttered something that sounded like _damn Weasel_.

"You may not get along with Severus, but he's the best spy we have. He'd eavesdropped the conversation between Weasley and Dumbledore." She answered. "I'm sorry Harry." She said with compassion.

Harry felt like he's been smacked in the face. He couldn't believe that. He was shocked to learn that his own friend was lying to him for this whole time. _How could he?_ Harry thought. Anger was rising inside him with a devastating speed. He tried his best to calm down and don't snap. It was difficult, but he could manage to calm down a bit.

"I'm sorry Draco." He apologized, his voice shaking from anger. "I should've known what kind of traitor he would become."

They've shaken hands and Cassiopeia proposed that they should go and eat some breakfast. No one disagreed, so they've left Draco's room and went towards the dining room.

* * *

It was nearly twelve o'clock and the streets of Privet Drive were empty, as the people were hiding inside their homes to escape the hot and sunny weather. It was so hot, that the inhabitants of Privet Drive didn't even notice an old man with a long beard, wearing a strange robe, walking alone towards the number four. Albus Dumbledore walked towards the door and rang the doorbell. After a while, the door opened, and he'd seen a middle-aged woman, her face similar to horse, standing in front of him.

"Good afternoon, Petunia dear." Dumbledore said, a light smile appearing on his face "I'm here to take Harry to spend the rest of his school holidays with his friends. I assume Harry told you about my planned visit?"

Petunia shook her head, looking at the old wizard with disgust. She wasn't aware that one of those freaks was planning to disturb the peaceful afternoon of a decent people today, especially while the boy wasn't even home since yesterday. And she was sure that he hadn't told them about the planned visit.

"He's not home." She said shortly.

"It's alright dear." Dumbledore said calmly. "I could wait for him in your lovely living room. May I come in?"

"I don't think so." Petunia replied harshly and Dumbledore looked a bit surprised. "He's not home since yesterday."

That was quite concerning. Harry surely was aware of headmaster's visit and left? That wasn't something Harry would do. Maybe the blood wards weren't working anymore and Death Eaters have abducted him?

"Did he say where he was going?" He asked with serious tone. He continued when Petunia shook her head. "Did you saw him leaving? Was someone else with him?"

Woman shook her head again, looking annoyed by his questions. _She's not going to cooperate_, he thought. He had no time, so he'd stared intensively into her eyes, assaulting her mind with Legilimency. Unfortunately for him, he hadn't found anything useful.

"I apologize for disturbing you, dear." He said, smiling pleasantly. "I shall be going now. I'll let you know if I'll find anything about Harry."

He turned around and walked away. He was wondering what could happen with Harry. He couldn't allow himself to lose control over the boy. He was too important for him, to defeat Voldemort. But he was gone since yesterday and Tom surely would announce the capture of the Chosen One. So what happened then? Where had Harry gone? He'd decided to wait until September and organize a search if he wouldn't show in Hogwarts. But before that, he had one more idea how to find out about Harry's whereabouts.

* * *

Harry was sitting under the large, pine tree in the garden with Cass, watching as Cathy and Draco were dueling. They've thought that they've had to be prepared for upcoming war. He was impressed how quickly his sister defeated Malfoy. He didn't even have a chance to hit her with any hex or curse. Harry was actually scared to duel Cassiopeia, but he was going to try anyway. They both stood up and put out their wands. Before he could do anything, he'd seen three curses flying at him. He threw himself on the ground and quickly got up and responded with his own curse.

"_Caecus Oculi_"

A jet of white light sped towards his friend. She'd tried to deflect his curse with a shield spell, but much to her surprise, Harry's curse easily broke through her shield and hit her in the chest. She was completely blinded, but quickly muttered a counter-curse to restore her sight again. She was impressed by Harry's knowledge of dark spells, but she didn't say anything.

They were dueling for nearly twenty minutes, and Harry had managed to hit Cassiopeia a few more times, but she was slowly getting bored of the duel, so she'd thrown a hex at him, color similar to the Killing Curse and a stunning spell on his left. Harry was shocked to see the intense green jet flying towards him, so he jumped on the left, straight to the stunning spell. He fell on the ground unconscious.

"_Rennervate_," Cassiopeia muttered, pointing her wand at Harry.

He woke up, glaring daggers at his friend.

"What the hell was that?" He asked angrily. "The Killing Curse?!"  
"Calm down, Harry," She said. "It wasn't the Killing Curse. The green color was supposed to distract you and make you to duck straight into my stunning spell. It worked perfectly."

"It's not a bad strategy." He smiled. "I actually thought that you were going to kill me."

"I still can if you want" She smirked.  
Harry laughed and sat under the tree, watching as Cass was preparing herself to duel his sister.

* * *

Later that day, Harry was called by the Dark Lord to his study. He was standing in front of the door, wondering what could the Dark Lord want from him. He took a deep breath and knocked. He entered inside when he'd heard Voldemort's permission. He looked at the desk, but he didn't see the Dark Lord there. Instead, he was sitting on the armchair next to the fireplace.

"Potter, sit" Voldemort greeted him, pointing at the couch next to him.

Harry walked slowly to the couch and sat, watching Voldemort closely.

"My Lord." He said, nodding respectfully.

"I've called you tonight to discuss some urgent matters." He said calmly. "Have you heard about the Mind Arts? Specifically about the Occlumency?"

"I have, sir." Harry replied. "Professor Snape tried to teach me, but it didn't go well."

"Very well then. I suppose that you know why I have asked you about that?" The Dark Lord asked.

"I do, my Lord," He replied. "We cannot let Dumbledore attack my mind and find out about everything."

"That's right, Harry." Riddle smiled. "There's a library on the second floor. You should look for the books on the Mind Arts. Cassiopeia would certainly teach you."

Harry wasn't quite pleased with learning Occlumency, mainly because Snape wasn't the greatest teacher he'd had in this branch of magic, but maybe Cass would be more patient with him? He had to ask her. He had no choice after all.

"Since you're my apprentice now, I'd like to begin your training." Voldemort said. "We shall start on Monday, but I expect you to read about Parselmagic." He continued.

"You'll find everything you'll need in _The Serpent's Magic_, written by Slytherin himself. It should be in the library. Any questions?"

"No, my Lord." Harry replied.

"Then that's all for tonight. You're dismissed." The Dark Lord said.  
Harry bowed his head respectfully and left the study. He was really interested in Parselmagic. It would be great advantage since there were only three Parsemouths in Britain. He'd decided to fetch the books immediately.

* * *

A red-headed woman was sitting at the kitchen table, reading some kind of magazine. Suddenly, she'd seen emerald flames in her fireplace and a tall, old man walking out of the flames.

"Albus! I'm so happy to see you!" She exclaimed with enthusiasm. "Would you like some tea?"

"No, it's alright Molly." He replied with a pleasant smile on his face. "Actually I've came to speak with Ronald for a while."

"With Ron?" She'd asked, surprised. "Did something happen?"

"There's no need to worry." He reassured her. "I just have to ask him about some things."

She nodded and left the room to go to fetch her son, wondering what was so important. She'd came back downstairs with Ron after a few minutes.

"Good evening, Professor." Ron said politely.

"Good evening, my boy." Dumbledore greeted. "I want to talk to you about Harry."

"About Harry?" The boy was taken aback. "Should I start writing him back?"

"Yes," Headmaster replied quickly. "I think it was mistake to tell you not to in the first place."

Ron was a bit confused by Dumbledore's statement, but didn't said nothing. Instead, it was his mother who'd noticed something was wrong.

"Is something wrong with Harry?" She asked, worried about her son's friend. "What happened, Albus?"

"He wasn't home since yesterday and his family didn't know anything about his whereabouts." He replied, frowning.

"What do you mean, Albus? Has Voldemort…" She cut on her words, not even wanting to think about what could happened to Harry.

"Don't worry, Molly." He reassured her. "I'm certain that Voldemort would certainly announce loudly that he'd captured him."

"So where's Harry then, Professor?" Ronald asked, concerned about his friend.

"I do not know." Dumbledore answered sincerely. "But you should write him as soon as we're finished." He instructed. "I need to ask you to continue your watch on Harry this year."

"Albus, does he really have to?" Molly asked.

"Yes, Molly." He replied. "It is in our best interest to keep Harry safe."

Ron agreed, wanting to protect his friend. Dumbledore smiled and took his leave. He was happy that he still had trust of young Ronald and that he'd agreed to spy Harry for him.

* * *

On Saturday evening, Harry was lying on his bed, reading the book about Parselmagic. He was really fascinated about it and wanted to try it in the duel as soon as he could. He'd learned that the Parselmagic is way stronger than normal magic and it strengthened every spell or curse he'd use. For example, the ordinary stunning spell could actually put the target in the Magic Coma for at least a week. He didn't know how it affected the Killing Curse, though. Well, how could someone be more dead or less dead?  
He was interrupted by a lot of knocks on his window. He put down the book and walked towards the window. When he opened it, he'd seen a small, fluffy owl, sitting on the windowsill, holding a letter. He'd taken the letter and closed the window.

_Harry,_  
_I'm so sorry about not writing you. Dumbledore told me that it would be dangerous and my letters could be intercepted by Death Eaters._  
_He'd said that you hasn't been home since Thursday. Were you angry with me? I'm sorry again, mate. Are you okay? Please say something. We're worried about you and mom thought that Voldemort abducted you and killed._  
_Please let us know that you're alive._  
_Your best mate,_  
_Ron_

Harry couldn't believe his former best friend's stupidity. Obviously Dumbledore was manipulating him, and he still couldn't see through him. For Merlin's sake, he told him to not write to him because his mail could be intercepted and now suddenly it couldn't? He put down the letter and pointed his wand at it.

"_**Incendio**_," He hissed, and the paper was set on flames.

Fire swallowed the letter immediately, leaving a small pile of ashes. The Parselmagic is really effective, Harry thought. It was true. A flame from a normal Incendio would take a while longer to burn the paper, while the Parselmagic Incendio burned it instantly.

"_Odorus Amotio_," He said the spell in English and the smell of burned paper vanished.

Suddenly he'd heard a gentle knocking on his door. He opened the door and saw his sister standing in front of him.

"Hi, Cathy" He greeted, letting her inside his room.

"Hey," She said shortly. "Was something on fire? I swear I smelled something burning from my room."

"Yeah, Ron sent me a letter. I burned it." He replied, still annoyed by the letter.

"Did he? What did he want?" Catherine asked.

"He said he was worried about me." Harry replied calmly. "I think Dumbledore told them about my sudden disappearance."

"So, what are you going to do?" She asked, looking concerned.

"Nothing." He replied shortly. "Ron betrayed my trust, and I don't want to have anything to do with him anymore." He said calmly. "Anyway, do you know where Sirius is? I haven't seen him for a while."

"He's on some kind of mission for the Dark Lord in disguise." She'd answered.

"I hope he'll be okay. I couldn't lose him again." Harry said honestly.

"He'll be alright. He's a Black, remember?" She smirked.

* * *

It was Monday afternoon. Harry was walking through the corridor on the ground floor, since he was told by the House Elf to meet the Dark Lord in the training room. He was excited, hoping to learn some powerful magic or something like that. He opened the door and came inside. He spotted the black-haired man standing patiently in the middle on the room.

"Welcome, my young apprentice." The Dark Lord said and Harry felt weird, being addressed by the Dark Lord with a friendly tone. "Have you read Slytherin's book yet?" Harry nodded. "Good. What have you learned?" Voldemort asked.

Harry was focusing, trying to remember every single bit of information he had read about. It took him a while, but he was glad that he didn't forget anything.

"It's more powerful than normal magic is." He began, the Dark Lord was watching him closely. "It's using the dark part of the magical core and modifies the attributes of the spell, making even the light spell – dark."

"I'm glad that you took the reading seriously." Voldemort nodded approvingly. "Have you tried casting a spell using Parselmagic?"

"I've tried to burn a piece of paper with Incendio." He replied.

"Good." The Dark Lord said. "But we're going to improve your dueling techniques with addition of Parselmagic." He continued. "Shall we, Harry?"

Harry nodded, and they walked towards the opposite ends of the room. They've put out their wands and began the duel.

"_**Stupefy**_," Harry hissed, a red jet leaving his wand. Voldemort easily blocked the spell, looking at Harry with a smirk.

"Really, Harry? A stunning spell? That won't do," He hissed. "_**Dillacerante, Acuite, Depulso**_" A series of hisses left his mouth.

A sharp pieces of wood were flying towards Harry, but he'd managed to defend himself with a shield spell. So the Dark Lord wanted him to fight him as best as he could? Alright then.

"_**Organis Liquidum**_" Harry hissed and Voldemort looked quite impressed, though he'd easily moved out of the curse's way. "_**Sanguis Coquitos**_" Harry didn't stop. He was bombarding the Dark Lord with a lot of curses, but he still was missing.

"_**Expulso, Dillacerante, Incendio, Depulso, Bombarda, Nescius**_" Three curses and a burning wood were flying straight at Harry.

"_**Sigillum**_" Harry hissed, trying to defend himself by the strongest shield he knew about, but it was shattered by the exploding charm and he got hit by the stunning curse.

"_Rennervate_" Voldemort muttered and Harry awoke. "You have to learn a proper stance and how to effectively attack you opponent." Harry was standing in front of him, listening carefully. "You have to keep moving during the duel. You're an easy target when you don't. Your opponent will have difficulties to hit you if you'll be in motion and it also would be hard to surprise you with a more than one curse at once." Harry nodded. "And that's what you'll have to do. Even in motion, you have to throw few curses at once."

"I understand, my Lord." Harry said respectfully.

"Good. Shall we try again?" Riddle asked.

And so they've dueled again. Harry took Voldemort's advices seriously and was never standing in one place for more than a few seconds. Curses were flying across the room, but the Dark Lord was never hit by any of them. Harry was throwing multiple curses at once and tried his best to defeat Voldemort.

Fifteen minutes have passed and both of them were still standing. Voldemort was on offensive and was throwing his best curses at Harry, but his opponent was dodging his curses and throwing a few back. But unfortunately, he was cornered and couldn't dodge his curses anymore.

"That was a lot better." Voldemort admitted. "Can you see where you've failed?" He asked.

"I've let you corner me." Harry replied, looking quite ashamed of his mistake.

"Exactly." Riddle said. "If I were trying to kill you, you'd be dead. You have to do your best to avoid fails during fights." Harry nodded. "Let's try again."

They were dueling for another two hours and had to stop because Harry was too tired to continue. He was getting better and made fewer mistakes. The Dark Lord was very pleased by that and instructed him to think about the mistakes he'd made today and how to avoid repeating them in the future.

* * *

A few weeks have passed since Harry's arrival to the Malfoy Manor. His trainings with the Dark Lord were very effective, and he'd learned a lot from his former nemesis. He'd also met other Slytherins from his year – Theodore Nott, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini and Daphne Greengrass. He'd become friends easily with almost everyone, but Pansy still was skeptical about him. He didn't think that the Slytherins could be normal people too.

His Occlumency lessons were going surprisingly well to, mainly because Cassiopeia was a way more patient than Snape was and actually tried to explain him what he was doing wrong. The books from the library were very useful too on that matter.  
But his stay in the Manor wasn't just trainings and Occlumency lessons. He had some fun too. For example, he played a few Quidditch matches with Cass, Draco and the other Slytherins. Catherine thought that Quidditch is pointless and didn't play, but she watched them play anyway.

Harry was sleeping in his room, tired from yesterday's training with Cass and the Dark Lord. Riddle came up with an idea for Harry to fight multiple enemies at once, which was quite tiresome.  
His sleep was suddenly disturbed by a few intruders barging inside his room.

"Happy Birthday Harry!" They've shouted in unison.

He jumped up in surprise, looking sleepily at his friends. He yawned loudly and smiled. He was positively surprised that they had remembered his birthday.

"Thanks" He said quietly. "But would you let me dress up or you'd prefer to be cursed into next universe?" He smirked.

"It didn't go well last time you've tried to curse me" Cass smirked, but left his room afterwards and everyone else followed.

He sighed and went to the bathroom to take a shower and dress up. After a half of hour, he was ready and left his room. Together with his friends, they've gone to the dining room to eat breakfast. The rest of his Slytherin friends were coming on his birthday afternoon, so he had to wait to eat the cake.  
After the breakfast, they've gone outside to wait for their friends. Obviously, Harry couldn't live through the day, even his own birthday, without the ambush from the Dark Lord who'd decided that it's a excellent idea to surprise-attack him randomly. As soon as they've left outside, Voldemort fired a few curses at him. He put up his shield but moved out of the way anyway. Harry had thrown multiple curses back at him, which he'd easily deflected. Riddle nodded at him approvingly before retreating back inside.  
After two hours, the other of his friends has arrived. They've eaten the cake and went back outside to play some Quidditch. Even in the air, Harry was clutching on his wand. The Dark Lord wasn't predictable and he could really think that attacking him in the air would be a brilliant idea. Fortunately, the match was finished without any disturbances. They've played a few more matches before the sun has set. They've eaten the supper, and Harry took his leave to his room to open the gifts he'd received today. It was the best birthday he'd ever had.

* * *

Next day, he was woken up by a large owl, flying straight through his opened window. He got up from his comfortable bed and walked towards the owl, sitting on his desk. It lifted its right leg, and Harry had noticed a large, square envelope. He untied it and slit it open and unfolded the parchment inside.

_**Ordinary Wizarding Level Results**_

_**Pass Grades**:_  
_Outstanding (O)_  
_Exceeds Expectations (E)_  
_Acceptable (A)_

_**Fail Grades**:_  
_Poor (P)_  
_Dreadful (D)_  
_Troll (T)_

_**Harry James Potter has achieved**:_  
_Astronomy: A_  
_Care of Magical Creatures: E_  
_Charms: O_  
_Defense Against the Dark Arts: O_  
_Divination: P_  
_Herbology: O_  
_History of Magic: D_  
_Potions: O_  
_Transfiguration: E_

Harry was looking at the parchment with pride. He'd failed the Divination and History, but he'd actually passed the Potions on Outstanding! He was glad that he could continue that subject. Now when Snape and the Slytherins didn't try to sabotage his work on purpose, he actually could success. There was obviously the Hogwarts letter containing the list of his course books for this year too, but he'd deal with it later.  
He dressed up, left his room and walked toward Draco's. He was wondering how well he'd managed. He knocked politely and entered inside. The blonde was sitting on his bed, reading the results.

"Hello Draco" Harry greeted. "How's your OWLs?" He asked.

"Not bad." Draco replied. "I failed Divination, though."

"So… We're N.E.W.T students now," Harry laughed. "Have you decided what subjects are you dropping yet?" He asked.

"Not yet." He answered. "But I'm thinking about dropping History for sure."

"I'm definitely dropping Care and Astronomy." Harry said, being a bit sorry for abandoning Hagrid. But he wouldn't need N.E. from Care of Magical Creatures definitely.


End file.
